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Title: Estimating uncertainty of emissions inventories: What has been done/what needs to be done

Conference ·
OSTI ID:319874

Developing scientifically defensible quantitative estimates of the uncertainty of atmospheric emissions inventories has been a gleam in researchers eyes since atmospheric chemical transport and transformation models (CTMs) started to be used to study air pollution. Originally, the compilation of these inventories was done as part of the development and application of the models by researchers whose expertise usually did not include the art of emissions estimations. In general, the smaller the effort spent on compiling the inventories the more effort could be placed on the model development, application and analysis. Yet model results are intimately tied to the accuracy of the emissions data; no model, however accurately the atmospheric physical and chemical processes are represented, will give reliable representation of air concentrations if the emissions data are flawed. The author briefly summarizes some of the work done to develop quantitative estimates of the uncertainty of emissions inventories. The author then presents what is needed to develop scientifically defensible quantitative estimates of the uncertainties of emissions data.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-98CH10886
OSTI ID:
319874
Report Number(s):
BNL-65965; CONF-981085-; ON: DE99001754; TRN: AHC29909%%129
Resource Relation:
Conference: IPCC meeting on managing uncertainty in national greenhouse gas inventories, Paris (France), 13-15 Oct 1998; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English